You're the lead singer in a rock band. The crowd is collectively waving their hands in the air and screaming your name. As you belt out the last note to your five part rock Opera, and the fans are feinting out of pure excitement. You survey the hysterical crowd to see Bono with a single tear streaming down his face. He takes of his shades, stares you straight in the eye, and gives you one solitary nod. As you awake from your daydream, you realize you only have five minutes to finish the most important test of the semester.
Everyone has had a similar fantasy at some point in their life, but the people that actually perform on stage for a living might emphasize how much practice is necessary for the dream to become a reality. Nuci's space provides practice spaces for musicians so that the crowd is trowing roses and not last week's rotten fruit. Nuci space also provides services related to suicide prevention. Members of the Nuci's staff help troubled musicians seek professional help to overcome mental health conditions. Nuci's space has a great cause and helps people become better musicians and healthier people, but lets see how well they are doing at promoting their services through social media. Instagram: Nuci's Instagram does a great job of staying up to date and posting frequently. Most of their posts are promoting their various events and contests. Their posts, however, are not aesthetically pleasing. Almost all of their posts are strictly informative. There doesn't seem to be a solid creative direction within their Instagram account. All of the posts promoting specific events seem to be produced through photoshop and have a drab look to them. Being a business that is seeking to attract creative people, Nuci's should consider trying to engage with their audience in an fun, unique way. They could use photographs with dynamic angles, and their photos could feature similar filters in order to create a continuous creative aesthetic. Facebook: Nuci's Space definitely mirrors their Instagram presence on Facebook. Many of the posts on their Instagram are identical to the posts they have on Facebook. Nuci's space could find better opportunities to engage with their Facebook audience using specific Facebook features. They could feature surveys or even require contest entries be submitted through facebook. Facebook should be more community oriented for them so that they can find more opportunities to interact with their current or future customers. Youtube: I was most impressed with Nuci's Space's Youtube channel. Most local businesses don't invest enough time developing their Youtube channel, but Nuci's Space does a great job of updating their videos. Their video catalogue does a great job of presenting all the facets of their business. The video quality, however, could be improved. The videos are often grainy and out of focus. The editing is often minimal or nonexistent in their videos. Nuci's could further enhance their Youtube experience by investing in better video equipment and editing their videos. Overall, Nuci's space has room for improvement. They could really progress their business with different approaches to their social media strategy. With such a great purpose, Nuci's space has a plenty of people ready to promote their service. If Nuci's could find a way to reach potential advocates through social media, they would have more opportunities to expand their business.
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It was a common occurrence growing up to see brown paper bags inscribed with the big red words "Trader Joe's" flung onto the kitchen counter. Back then, I didn't know the difference between Trader Joe's, Kroger, or the dim lit alley behind Kroger. As an established and overconfident adult, I now realize how the little differences matter when grocery shopping. After shopping at Kroger for the past two years, I realized that the store kind of reminds me of refuge center in a zombie movie. The florescent lights flicker, everyone looks tired, all the good food is taken, and people shuffle their feet through the isles leaning against their carts like they might collapse at any second. When I walked into Trader Joe's yesterday I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. I no longer felt like I had to stock up rations for a bomb shelter. The people were upbeat and friendly, the prices were the same or only slightly marked up, and Everything was easier to find. I realized that shopping at Trader Joe's is what shopping for groceries should be. So why is it that I didn't know about Trader Joe's quality difference sooner? Lets take a look at how Trader Joe's is marketing digitally.
Instagram: Trader Joe's Instagram does a great job of promoting their products. They start their own hashtag contests, present recipe ideas, and inform followers about their food products. The picture quality is excellent and every picture is colorful and visually appealing. Trader Joe's might consider adding pictures of people using the products, or even people interacting inside the store. Almost all of Trader Joe's posts are of their food. Without images people enjoying their food, there is less of a personal connection. I would advise Trader Joe's to post more images of people enjoying their food. Facebook: Trader Joe's does not have an official Facebook page. They might be slow to adapt, Trader Joe's has strategically stayed off of Facebook. Trader Joe's probably wants consumers to believe they are less of a large chain and more of a down to earth grocery shopping option. The stores are relatively small and every employee wears Hawaiian shirts. Every part of Trader Joe's has been created to give buyers a mom and pop shop feel. Their hesitance to Facebook may be another effort to stay less daunting to consumers. Trader Joe's has also stayed off of Twitter. Website: Without an official Twitter or Facebook, Trader Joe's uses their website as their main digital communication tool. On the website they include a blog, product updates, recipes, and publications that are talking about Trader Joe's. The website acts as a comprehensive substitute for what they are missing on other media platforms. Overall, Trader Joe's is doing a great job promoting their brand. Although they could benefit from having an official Twitter and Facebook page, they are trying to stay true to their roots. I think the idea to stay off of some social media platforms is a good for TJ's because people shop at their stores because it doesn't feel like a large grocery chain. Every Trader Joe's store feels a little less like the apocalypse and a little more like home. 'When my roommate Chase told me he was thinking about joining the Athens half marathon event called the Athhalf, I was slightly amused. I had my doubts about how dedicated he would be to the challenge of running, or even finishing a half marathon. As a senior accounting major, he already had a lot on his plate and I wasn't sure if he understood the commitment he was making. After he registered for the race, I began to see a change in him. Chase started including a run into his daily routine. He began to plan his days more efficiently in order to accommodate for the time he spent training. Although the change was subtle, I realized he was consistent with his training regiment. The race seemed to become a part of who he was. He was more consistent in reaching his goals. He was more attentive to his health. He was resilient against adversity.
Today was the day of the race and as Chase readied himself in our dining room by chugging water relentlessly ( a questionable decision), I began to feel a pang of regret. Part of me wished I had the same diligence Chase acquired in his training for the race. The race gave him a purpose. The race was a constant reminder to continue to push himself every day. Today I realized that the Athhalf isn't just a family friendly event for the community. The nonprofit organization, Athhalf Educates, provides an opportunity for people to create the structure and discipline to help them become their best self. Today I'm going to review how Athhalf Educates uses their Instagram and Twitter platforms to inspire others. In every Instagram post, Athhalf translates the fun and excitement that comes with joining the event. Whether it's a testimonial from the winning racer or a memorable fan dressed in a hotdog costume, Athhalf seems to pick up all the fun quirks that make the festival great. Although Their Instagram account uses most of their efforts to entertain, they also include a good fun/serious ratio. Athhalf uses their instagram to inform their audience of how their organization uses the funds from the race to pour back into the educational programs promoting artistic education. One post includes a faculty member who participates in the Athhalf because, "She knows firsthand how Athhalf Educates supports our school and music programs." Athhalf's Twitter is by far the best Twitter feed for an organization I have reviewed. After five minutes of being on the feed I saw content that personally impacted my daily life. An article posted about running workouts gave me a new outlook on working out for a long distance run. The article that Athhalf posted was only posted in their Twitter feed. reading the post helped me realize that there might be content equally as helpful on their other platforms. I realized their efforts on one platform only enhance the quality of the next. Followers are more likely to tune in to other Athhalf outlets when they consume content from one. People are so excited about the Athhalf event that Athhalf Educates can actually promote deadlines through their followers. Athhalf Educates retweeted a post from one participant who was warning her followers of the deadline for the Athhalf price increase. The retweeted post informed followers while taking away the authoritative edge that posting personally would have brought on. Having done the social media platform reviews for the past seven weeks, I can say the Athhalf has the best social media presence out of all the organizations reviewed thus far. Everything they post is new and creative without recycling old themes or structures. Athhalf educates uses testimonials, spotlights, current events, and event promotion, to constantly shift and ignite interest. Each platform, whether it's their Twitter, Instagram, or website, has a unique approach. The attractiveness and unique approach to each platform inspires you to follow each channel to consume different content. While many companies are complacent and simply duplicate their marketing efforts on each platform, Athhalf goes the extra mile (pun almost intended.) Athhalf educates isn't content to be present on each platform, they seek to utilize the different platforms for their strengths. Trump Digital Marketing ScandalTonight I was watching 60 minutes when an interesting story flickered on. One of the men who helped make Donald Trump become president was being interviewed. His name is Brad Parscale and he served as the head digital marketing director for the Trump campaign. The tone of the interview......accusatory. As I watch the interview, one thought went through my mind, "alright, here we go again." Tonight's story wasn't a tale of glorification, but rather an attempt to uncover the truth behind a presidency filled with unanswered questions.
Ok Ok.. I know I'm diverting from my theme again, but I think this information is important to communicate and happens to be relevant. The interview with Parscale started with a simple question, "how did you help push people to vote for Donald Trump?" Parscale began to walk through all of his strategies. He started by building a website for the campaign. Then he began developing a strategy on how to reach and persuade people to vote for Trump. His platform of choice, Facebook. Parscale said he was able to put Trump in office because he was better than his competition at utilizing Facebook. He explained how he had 100,000 different advertisements, either explaining policy or asking for donations, made and sent every day on Facebook. Each ad was specifically catered to a target demographic. The main distinguishing aspect for strategy was geography. Parscale knew he could reach rural areas more effectively with Facebook. Another interesting point regarding Parscales efforts had to do with the involvement of businesses in the Trump campaign. More specifically, Social media businesses. Parscale noted that Google and Facebook and Twitter sent representatives to teach Parscale how to utilize their products more effectively. He said that the representative were in the office up to five days a week helping with the Campaign. Parscale ephasized that he was able to beat his competition based on the fact that he learned how to use Google Facebook and Twitter more effectively than the Clinton campaign. In fact, 60 minutes noted that the Clinton campaign was also offered representatives from social media platforms but turned them away. The last interesting piece becomes less about social media and more about politics. The 60 minutes reporter asked Parscale if he was involved with Russia's involvement in the Campaign. Parscale shook his head and stated "that's ridiculous." Im going to post the article so you can decide for yourself how you feel on the topic. I would not consider myself invested in politics but I still found the story interesting and relevant to social media marketing. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-campaign-digital-director-brad-parscale-to-be-interviewed-by-house-intelligence-committee/ Graduating from college is a lot like jumping off a cliff. You have no idea what you're falling into. You could be hitting pavement, or you could fall into the safety of a large pool of water. Your landing options are completely up to you. Going to the SparkSouth networking was like building a pool to land in. The picture of the current and future marketing landscape is a little bit clearer now that I was able to listen to industry leaders share their experience.
Today I'll be diverging from my normal routine of critiquing social media strategies and instead I'll be communicating my experience at Sparksouth. Going into the event, I really didn't know what to expect. My only concern was that the event was going to begin at 8:30 and last until 5:30 (which seemed pretty early for someone who had to drive from Athens). And so I began my journey at 5:30 in the morning eventually hitting morning traffic and inching along the Atlanta perimeter. When I arrived I found myself not only relieved at finding the location, but in awe of how amazing the new Suntrust stadium is. The mentors that spoke at Sparksouth really helped me understand what is expected of potential employees. Each section of the conference helped me gain valuable insight into what brand marketing or agency marketing professionals are looking for in a resume, in attitude, and in work ethic. I was also able to understand more about how differences in marketing professions. Professionals in brand marketing work in a drastically different environment than professionals in the agency side. Additionally, I was also able to learn more about what being an entrepreneur is like. Overall, I was ecstatic about my experience at Sparksouth. Although I still have a long way to go before I feel comfortable being out on my own, I now feel like my challenges are manageable. Sparksouth really helped me wrap my head around what it's like in the digital marketing environment, and I would highly recommend the event to any marketing student. Who has had that moment where throughout the day you wonder why you aren't feeling it? You slide through the morning, the afternoon, the evening, to realize, "I didn't drink coffee this morning!" You then have a moment of insecurity where you realize your frail demeanor is completely dependent on a warm beverage. You question your existence without the dreamy, smokey, liquid that wakes you up in the morning. You start to question, "do I love coffee more than my dog?" You start to ask yourself, "was it a good idea to have missed that job interview for a coffee run?" As you sit in contemplation, jobless, with a neglected golden retriever at your feet, one answer rings louder than the rest...........YES.
Founded in 1994, Jittery Joe's started with a small shop next to the 40 Watt club in downtown Athens, GA. Over the years, Jittery Joe's has become a staple in the Athens community. The coffee Jittery Joe's produces has blended (pun intended) into the city's culture. Jittery Joe's has a spectacular Instagram presence so I thought a comprehensive view on what sets their Instagram apart from the rest would help shed light on what speaks to me about their brand. INSTAGRAM: There are three things I notice that stand out on Jittery Joe's Instagram page. One, They have a great fun to promotional ratio. Two, they have high quality aesthetically pleasing photos. Three, they give a comprehensive and clear view of what they do. Jittery Joe's knows how to create a fun upbeat atmosphere while staying focused on their product. I see a tendency for some businesses to get caught up in trying to engage their audience with either a purely fun post that distracts from the companies purpose. Or companies tend to be afraid to show some personality in their social media presence. Ultimately, social media is all about engaging with your audience. Social platform users don't visit social media to see ads or promotions. Followers on Instagram want to see beautiful or entertaining pictures from friends or brands they believe in. The trick is to provide entertainment for followers while still sending your business's brand message. Jittery Joe's has done a fantastic job at intertwining fun and promotion. The photos posted by Jittery Joe's are colorful and often have interesting or eye-catching angles. Most of the posts draw you in with something related to Jittery Joe's coffee, while other posts feel personal and somehow tie in with the product. The main thing that makes you want to see what the post is about are the colors and the interesting approach to the photography. Finally, the last thing that sets Jittery Joe's apart is the comprehensive view of the brand. Even though some posts are mostly for entertainment, every post ties to the brand somehow. A video of a train seems unrelated to Jittery Joe's until you read the post that says "need the energy of a train, drink Jittery Joe's." Jittery Joe's has a way of creating a personal view of their brand while subtly promoting the brand. The page does a great job of exposing the product while conveying an authentic and fun approach to Instagram. Every morning I walk by the cathedral spire where Michael Stipe performed his first show with R.E.M. In passing I often think, "How many ideas and creative thinkers were inspired by the students who started their career where I am standing now?" walking though the streets of Athens, I think about how every building, streetlight, sidewalk, bridge, and statue might be the inspiration for a song. Athens is a music town. The artists who craft their work within Athens' borders have shaped the city's landscape into a hub for music, art, and culture.
The music venues in Athens act as gatekeepers, taste-makers, and creative leaders in the development of the city. The stages dotted around the city act as rest stops for artists around the nation to see what Athens has to offer. Each artist that visits adds to the canvas of culture in Athens and strengthens the city's legacy. Because the performance venues in Athens are important in shaping the culture of the city, I believe each major venue should be highlighted to give an accurate assessment of Athens business. Thus explains my two week streak of music venue reviews! The 40 Watt club is a mid-sized music venue located in downtown Athens. As Athens' second largest music venue (Georgia Theatre being the largest), the 40 Watt hosts a litany of popular artists and local acts. Since last week I reviewed Georgia Theatre's social media continuity, I thought I would switch it up and compare the 40 Watt's social performance to Georgia Theatre's. The 40 Watts' Instagram is surprisingly sparse. In fact, the last post was created in May of last year. The posts that have been created are mostly promoting upcoming events and shows. The 40 Watt is missing out on a great platform to promote their business. The 40 Watts Twitter account is alive and thriving. Twitter seems to be the main source for their promotional efforts. The posts are up to date and surpass Georgia Theatre's twitter profile quality. The posts are more informative and more frequent. Speaking as an email subscriber to both the 40 Watt and Georgia Theatre email accounts, I can say the 40 Watt is lagging behind in email promotion. I rarely see emails from the 40 Watt and I learn about shows by checking their website, seeing their upcoming show sign on their door, or hearing by word-of-mouth. Again, the 40 Watt isn't taking advantage of a useful promotional tool. WEBSITE The 40 Watts website is much like Georgia Theatre's Website in that is acts as the hub for all other promotional tools. All the tools link to the site. The site is where show goers purchase tickets and see upcoming shows. The 40 Watts website is cleaner and more organized than Georgia Theatre's. Finding shows is less of a hassle with the 40 Watt's site. CONTINUITY The 40 Watt does not make as big of an effort in promoting their events as Georgia Theatre. The few promotional posts the 40 Watt creates are sufficient for their purpose and accurately depict what going to an event at the 40 Watt is like. Moving Forward, 40 Watt could do a better job of capitalizing on free promotional platforms. If you asked me how much money I spend at Georgia Theatre, I would reply "too much." As one of Georgia Theatre's biggest fans, I can say that the Georgia Theatre provides a sacred space for live performance. The venue has hosted some of the nations biggest acts. From John Mayer to 311, Georgia Theatre is the primary music venue for larger scale performances in Athens. To a music geek, the Georgia Theatre provides the perfect habitat for afternoon recreation; but what about Athenians who don't frequent the music venue? How effective is Georgia Theatre at appealing to an audience through social media, and is their appeal mirrored in their actual offering?
Georgia Theatre does a great job of combining media outlets to help inform their audience on what events are happening. Because each of their "offerings" (music shows, UGA game showings, etc.) are available within a small time frame on specific dates, Georgia Theatre needs to be exceptional at informing and promoting their shows. Their major outlets are their website, twitter, email, and Instagram. INSTAGRAM: Georgia Theatre tends to use Instagram as entertainment to boost involvement. Instagram is not as much as a promotional tool as other outlets for Georgia Theatre. Their posts include original photography of artists in the Georgia Theatre performance space. Instagram is a useful tool for Georgia Theatre because it allows them to connect the artists they feature to their venue. When followers see their favorite artists performing in Georgia Theatre they are able to see what they missed. Most people (People with the fear of missing out) will make a better effort to take advantage of the next show they are interested in. TWITTER: Twitter is an important tool for Georgia Theatre because it provides live updates to planned events. For instance, I was planning on seeing a show hosted by Georgia Theatre tonight. A band named Sun Seeker was scheduled to perform tonight at 9:00. Because of the impending disaster called hurricane Irma, Georgia Theatre used Twitter to announce that the show is rescheduled to another night. Twitter allows Georgia Theatre to retain potential concert goers by updating them on current events and changes to set schedules. EMAIL: Georgia Theatre's email promotion is probably their most effective medium of promotion. All of those who buy tickets on the Georgia Theatre website are asked for their email address. Email campaigning serves as a way to promote upcoming shows while providing concert goers an easy link to buy tickets. Email promoting makes learning about new show calendars and buying tickets easier. WEBSITE: The website is not used as a promotional tool. The Georgia Theatre website functions as the hub for all other promotional tools. Georgia Theatre's Twitter, Instagram, and email marketing all provide links to the website when promoting shows. The website is most useful as a platform to purchase tickets and as a way to collect information like email addresses. CONTINUITY: Georgia Theatre does a great job of promoting their business while staying true to their actual offering. All their posts are of their venue and portray what going to a show at Georgia theatre actually feels, looks, and sounds like. Have you ever heard the phrase, "write about what you know?" The purpose of my social media continuity blog is to shed light on how Athens businesses are successful or fall short of their social media goals and whether or not the businesses are giving an accurate depiction of their business on their digital media outlets. Having knowledge of the business and experiencing the business's product offering are important prerequisites for my analysis. When I was deciding on what this week's post would be about, I figured I would write about the business I spend the most time engaging with. I signed my lease with the Flats in the fall of last year and my experience living here made todays selection especially interesting.
The Flats at Carrs hill is an off campus apartment complex located 0.5 miles from downtown Athens. Boasting a large list of amenities, the Flats is positioned as one of the city's luxury student living options. With furnished rooms, an indoor basketball court, two small gyms, study rooms, lounge areas, and a pool, the Flats attract Athens residents who are willing to pay for an apartment that provides more than just a living space. To break down the Flats' digital media efforts we will take a look at the three outlets that they focus on, The Flats website, Instagram, and Facebook. In my analysis I will answer three questions for each platform. "how connected is their audience?", "How realistic is their presentation?", and "How effective is their digital media at connecting their media outlet to the product offering?" WEBSITE Although a company's website isn't considered a social media outlet to interact with existing or potential customers, a website acts as the face of a brand and often creates the first impression for a potential customer. The Flats Website depicts a realistic picture of the product offering in its front page. Two pictures used are actual pictures of the Flats, however, the page link pictures are stock photos. The stock photos don't correlate well with the different page purposes. A girl eating ice cream represents the rewards page and a puppy is shown for the frequently asked question page. A picture of some of the rewards offered for the rewards page and a simple question mark for the FAQ page would be good replacement photos. The reviews page could use improvement as well. The current review page only contains 4-5 star reviews. A simple yelp search will show that there are plenty of people who feel the Flats apartments are worth 1-3 stars. My suggestion would be to make an effort to be honest with the reviews. People can sense when you are trying to seem a certain way. If you are going to show positive reviews (theres nothing wrong with that) then simply say "here is SOME of what our residents have to say about the Flats." Trying to format the page to seem like a comprehensive list when it isn't is only going to create distance between you and your audience. Overall, the page looks professional and has hints of authenticity to it. The page is sufficient in connecting their product to their digital media. The Flats Instagram page is visually pleasing and informative. The pictures are almost always taken at the actual property and do a good job of creating an accurate picture of apartment life at the Flats. The account, however, lacks wholesomeness that an audience can connect to. Almost all of their content is promoting their tours, events, and special offers. The formal and stiff outfit the Flats have created isn't effective in drawing an audience .Without an audience, their informative posts will not be recognized. The stale feeling created by their posts translates into their audience interactions. There are few "Likes" and I couldn't find any comments. Building a rapport with potential and current customers is crucial for loyalty and customer satisfaction. The Flats would be more aware of problems they could solve if they engaged in a conversation with their followers. Facebook presented an almost identical situation as Instagram. The Flats use the same post for Facebook as Instagram and people are disengaged. The one positive aspect Facebook presented was that there were 776 people that liked the page. Overall, people engaged less on Facebook than Instagram. The pictures did provide an accurate representation of apartment life a the Flats but ultimately the Flats are missing opportunities to engage with their potential and current residents. In conclusion, the Flats are doing a good job of adding authentic photos that show what life is really like living at in one of the Flats apartments. The media outlets the Flats have chosen are full of professional and informative posts. The posts are effective at indicating upcoming events, tours, and rent information. The one aspect the Flats could focus on is the connection they have with their audience. Seeking out conversations that help shed light on what the Flats are doing right and what they can improve will help take their business to the next level. Athens Georgia is unique from other college towns for two different reasons. First, Athens harbors one of the most artistic and culturally diverse populations in the southeast. Second, the people and businesses of Athens take pride in building a sense of community.When I think of the best example of an Athens business that puts community before profits, partnership before competition, and service before selfishness, I think of Strong Girls. Strong Girls is a service aimed at helping girls overcome issues stemming from low self esteem. The founders, Kim Turner and Rachel Greb, started the company to provide local Athens girls a safe haven where they can learn ways to cope with stress, build self esteem, and gain the support of a community of girls who struggle with the same issues. I chose to pursue an internship with Strong Girls because I believed in their purpose, and understood their approach. Strong Girls' approach to business is simple: Be transparent. Be honest. Be loving. Their success can be attributed to the simple fact that people are compelled to follow a company that strives to build a community and works to produce positive change. Strong Girls understands that the most compelling product offerings come from belief. If you believe what you do, others will too.
Strong Girls service offerings change with the seasons. Since Strong Girls clients have schedules changing with the school year, Strong Girls structures their sessions to complement their target market's availability. During the summer, Strong Girls offer camp. during the school year, Strong Girls offer after school sessions. My time with Strong Girls revolved around promoting summer camps and working to improve social media strategy. Strong Girls main social media platform was Instagram. Strong Girls decided to use Instagram because they believe it is the simplest way to communicate and promote their brand. Their approach to Instagram developed during the course of my work with them. We developed a structure for posts that included themes associated with each day of the week. Monday became "Meet Up Monday" where an employee would be featured with a quote about Strong Girls. Wednesday became "Wednesday Wisdom," featuring a quote that represented what the brand stood for. Friday became "Friyay," where Strong Girls would add a post celebrating the upcoming weekend. The structure of the posts helped build a fun routine, offering a completely new angle on the themes every week. Strong Girls social media presence adheres to the same rules the founders live by. Be Transparent. Be honest. Be loving. The themed posts give a glance into Strong Girls sessions and are effective in evoking a sense of love and acceptance. The personal approach to each post helps parents of Strong Girls feel free to interact and express their thoughts and words of encouragement. Overall, I'm proud to have helped Strong Girls build a social media presence that effectively communicated their purpose. |
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AuthorDigital Marketing student at the University of Georgia ArchivesCategories |